2010-11 Los Angeles Kings Year-In-Review: Coaches And Front Office Had Their Ups and Downs, Too

May 25, 2011 6 Comments

2010-11 YEAR IN REVIEW: Part 3 of a series.

LOS ANGELES — Despite earning a 46-30-6 (98 points, seventh place in the Western Conference) record this season, just three points less than their 46-27-9 (101 points, sixth place in the Western Conference) record in 2009-10, the Los Angeles Kings, along with just about everyone who follows them and the rest of the National Hockey League, expected the team to not only make the playoffs this season, but to at least advance to the second round.

Los Angeles Kings head coach Terry Murray certainly isn’ the next coming of legendary coaches Toe Blake or Scotty Bowman, but his achievements
with the Kings outweigh his failures and weaknesses.
Photo: Victor Decolongon/Getty Images via the Los Angeles Kings

Extenuating circumstances, namely, the loss of star center, leading scorer and top defensive forward Anze Kopitar to a serious ankle injury and not having right wing Justin Williams at full strength—both were injured in late March—severely diminished the Kings’ chances of winning their first round playoff series against the much more talented San Jose Sharks.

But even without Kopitar, and with Williams playing with a separated right shoulder, the Kings exposed the Sharks’ weaknesses and could have won the series if they adhered to their system and structure. But they failed miserably in that regard, dropping the series in six games. Read more of this post

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New On KingsCast: Post-Season Media Roundtable 2011, Parts 2-3

May 25, 2011 1 Comment

Just days before his sudden and unexpected passing on May 19, Jonathan Moncrief of Examiner.com and Inside Sports joined Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor, Dave Joseph of ESPN Radio Los Angeles, and Examiner.com, Matt Reitz from View From My Seats, Charles E. Smith, Jr. from Inside Sports, and yours truly on KingsCast’s 2nd Annual Los Angeles Kings Post-Season Media Roundtable, which was recorded on May 14, 2011. Read more of this post

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Los Angeles Kings Press Corps Left With Huge Hole In Lineup After Loss Of Jonathan Moncrief

May 19, 2011 41 Comments

LOS ANGELES — Back in late March, the west wing of the Bob Miller Press Box at Staples Center was unusually quiet during Los Angeles Kings games.

The reason: Jonathan Moncrief, who covered the Kings for Examiner.com and for Inside Sports was not in his usual seat, nor was he in the Chick Hearn Media Room downstairs. He was nowhere to be found.

Jonathan Moncrief (second from right) with some of the regulars of the west wing of the Staples Center press box covering the Los Angeles Kings. From left: Andrew Knoll,
Charles E. Smith, Jr., Brian Kennedy, Moncrief, Dave Joseph.
Photo: Charles E. Smith, Jr.

It was not until days (and home games) later that we learned that Jon had blacked out while walking home from the local grocery store, causing him to fall flat on his face. He was treated for facial injuries by paramedics at the scene before being transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, where they discovered that blood clots from his legs had traveled through his blood stream and wound up in his lungs. Read more of this post

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New On KingsCast: 2nd Annual Los Angeles Kings Post-Season Media Roundtable, Part 1

May 17, 2011 Leave a Comment

Last off-season, KingsCast brought us their Los Angeles Kings Post-Season Media Roundtable for the first time. This year, Keith Korneluk and Chris Kaliszewski have brought it back, and have just released Part 1 (Episode 108) of their 2nd Annual LA Kings Post-Season Media Roundtable. Read more of this post

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2010-11 Los Angeles Kings Year-In-Review: Defense And Goaltending Was Their Strength

May 16, 2011 10 Comments

2010-11 YEAR IN REVIEW: Part 2 of a series.

LOS ANGELES — Although their offense left much to be desired during the 2010-11 season, the Los Angeles Kings were one of the best defensive teams in the league.

After being a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy last season, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was not bad in 2010-11. Nevertheless, after such a solid 2009-10 season, his play this
season was still a major disappointment.
Photo: David Sheehan

Solid goaltending from Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier, strong play on the blue line by their defensemen most of the time, and contributions by the forwards to the defensive effort combined to put in the Kings among the top ten defensive teams in the National Hockey League, ranking sixth, allowing an average of 2.39 goals per game.

Indeed, defense is a team effort, but in Part 2 of Frozen Royalty’s look back at the players, coaches and front office during the 2010-11 season, it’s time to focus on the defensemen and goaltenders.

LEGEND: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; P = Points; PIM = Penalties In Minutes; PP = Power Play Goals; SH = Shorthanded Goals; GW = Game Winning Goals; OT = Overtime Goals; S = Shots; TOI = Time On Ice/Game; SFT = Shifts/Game; FO% = Face-Off Winning Percentage

Jack Johnson

2010-11 Regular Season: 82 GP, 5 G, 37 A, 42 P, -21, 44 PIM, 3 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW, 0 OT, 153 S, 23:11 TOI, 25.9 SFT

2009-10 Regular Season: 80 GP, 8 G, 28 A, 36 P, -15, 48 PIM, 3 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW, 0 OT, 130 S, 22:36 TOI, 24.4 SFT

2010-11 Playoffs: 6 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 P, -2, 0 PIM, 1 PP, 0 SH, 1 GW, 0 OT, 16 S, 22:48 TOI, 28.5 SFT

2009-10 Playoffs: 6 GP, 0 G, 7 A, 7 P, -5, 6 PIM, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW, 0 OT, 15 S, 23:41 TOI, 25.5 SFT

Jack Johnson got off to a solid start this season, taking up the slack from Drew Doughty (see below) during the early going. His skating and puck-handling abilities shined through often, even though he was never the key guy you wanted on the ice in key defensive situations, as his team-worst -21 rating indicates. Read more of this post

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2010-11 Los Angeles Kings Year-In-Review: Evaluating The Forwards

May 14, 2011 11 Comments

2010-11 YEAR IN REVIEW: Part 1 of a series.

Anze Kopitar (right) and Justin Williams (left) led the way among Los Angeles Kings’ forwards this season.
Photo: David Sheehan

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings suffered an earlier than desired exit from the 2010-11 season, when they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the San Jose Sharks, who won the series 4-2.

To be sure, another first round exit from the post-season party was not what the Kings had in mind this year, as expectations, both their own and just about everyone else’s, was for them to at least advance to the second round.

Although they faced extenuating circumstances that affected their ability to enjoy post-season success, namely, the loss of leading scorer and top defensive forward Anze Kopitar to a devastating ankle injury in late March, the Kings showed that if they had the discipline to adhere to their system and structure, they could have won that series, advancing to the Western Conference Semi Finals. Given that, it doesn’t matter how you slice it. The fact remains that the Kings did not meet expectations for the 2010-11 season. Read more of this post

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